My Brilliant Career: Hyperbole 3 key examples

The author uses the metaphor of a river to suggest that time in Possum Gully is “no object”: time is unimportant because it is unchanging and endless. Instead of time passing, Sybylla says her days “slide” into a "river of years.” This metaphor emphasizes the unpleasant monotony of the Gully, and explains why Sybylla feels trapped in its “narrow stagnation.” The language gives a sense of continuous flow, with each day indistinguishable from the next.

Tactile imagery further underscores this feeling of confinement. The terms "narrow" and "squeezing" suggest that Possum Gully is a space that exerts pressure on its inhabitants. All of this imagery reflects Sybylla’s sense that her family, in moving to this new community, have gone down in the world.

Sybylla's claim that "[n]othing ever happened there" is hyperbolic: Possum Gully may be boring, but time still has to pass. Franklin uses this hyperbole to underline Sybylla's frustration and sense of confinement. To a young and energetic woman, Franklin implies, it really might seem as if days merely slid "quietly into the river of years." Sybylla's teenage perspective amplifies the dullness of her existence there, making even small troubles seem more important than they are.

The term "immediate extermination" is a vivid instance of hyperbole. Sybylla uses it to melodramatically describe the potential repercussions of saying anything negative to her father about his treatment of the animals. It's highly unlikely her father would actually enact such drastic measures as “immediately exterminating” his daughter. However, this hyperbolic statement shows the reader Sybylla's newfound fear of him. As Franklin specifically says that Mr. Melvyn’s “cruelty” is aimed towards the “young cows,” it's implied that Sybylla sees his treatment of them as a reflection of his feelings toward his own children.

Aside from her obvious distaste at his cruelty, this might explain the “scathing” remarks she wishes to direct her father's way. This passage paints a bleak picture of the strained dynamics within the Melvyn family. The unpleasant change in Mr. Melvyn's personality is just one part of the tense and conflict-ridden atmosphere Sybylla has to navigate following his poor professional choices.

In this passage, Sybylla describes her realization of her “plain” looks using a simile. This realization is like a "cruel jagged knife" that cuts into her heart, a strikingly violent tactile image that emphasizes the depth of her distress. Franklin's use of tactile imagery —the sensation of stabbing, the feeling of something sinking into Sybylla’s heart—adds to the intensity of the simile and allows readers to viscerally experience Sybylla's emotional turmoil. This strong, intense imagery provokes feelings of empathy in the reader, as they can almost physically feel Sybylla's pain.

The use of hyperbole in this context underpins the intensity of Sybylla's teenage angst. The actual events here are not that dramatic. Sybylla is worried she isn’t attractive, and finds it unfair that some people are. Phrases such as "sank into my heart" contribute to the passage’s tone of almost silly melodrama, capturing the heightened emotions characteristic of youth and adolescence. The list of critical adjectives Franklin then gives the reader—“ugly and nasty and miserable and useless”—also contributes to this petulant tone.

It’s important to note, though, that although this language is exaggerated, the society in which Franklin sets her novel valued conventional female beauty extremely highly. A lack of attractiveness could truly prove disastrous for a young woman without financial independence. As it was difficult for women to find paid work, many could only support themselves through marriage. In this passage, the author provides an insight into the societal pressures faced by young women like Sybylla during this time. She is worried her looks will ruin her chances of security, as well as her chance at happiness.